Bulgarian Partners Trust is a UK charity that was established in 2003 to partner with the The Sofia Baptist Church in helping to fundraise for a new Social, Medical and Training Centre.
“We called ourselves “Partners” because we wanted to make it quite clear that we aim to assist work already being done, or that is being attempted. We are not setting the agenda ourselves. Because our Declaration of Trust is fairly broad we may well in time widen the work we support, but supporting the building of the centre is our first aim.”Geoff Wallis
Some of the wider work we support through the Sofia Baptist Church includes:
Orphanages
The church has forged relationships with a number of Directors of Orphanages and as a consequence has been able to visit their institutions taking food, toys, clothes and shoes.
They take presents at Christmas and Easter and put on shows and parties for these neglected children. Beyond these demonstrations of love, the church has made large differences to their every day lives by building new toilet blocks, kitchens and classrooms and installing decent double glazed windows to keep out the harsh winter cold.
- Giving Christmas gifts at an orphanage
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Visit to Stob Orpanage
Berkovitsa Orphanage
Winterhelp
Every winter, thousands of food parcels are distributed to needy people within the community. The collapse of state support means that many people have to make a choice between food, heating and medicine during the harsh Bulgarian winters.
The Good Samaritan Foundation helps to alleviate the situation by providing food to the most vulnerable members of the community- particularly the elderly.
Giving food to pensioners who struggle to make ends meet
Teddi talking to a Homeless man in Sofia
Medical Clinics
Members of the church and visiting practitioners have run a number of medical clinics for those with little if any access to the Bulgarian Health Service.
Literacy Classes
Literacy classes are held weekly for under priviledged children to help them with their reading and writing. Children particularly from the Roma community are encouraged to build up their literacy skills so they do not fall behind in school. Read about Vaska
Vaska – Literacy Classes
Homeless Food Relief Programme
Known as the “Street Mercy Project” volunteers from the Sofia Baptist Church give up their time to serve the homeless. With economic conditions in Bulgaria deteriorating in recent years, there has been a marked increase in food poverty.
Street Mercy Project on the streets of Sofia
Street Mercy Project – Food Relief in Sofia
- Street Mercy Project – Food Relief for People in Sofia